YAKUBU AIYEGBENI'S goal early in the second half was enough for Portsmouth to beat Gillingham in a hard-fought match.

Patrick Berger broke free and crossed for Yakubu to finish neatly and send Pompey through to the fourth round.

Portsmouth deserved the win after they twice hit the woodwork during the game.

First the impressive Berger was denied by the goal frame after linking up with Yakubu. Then Steve Banks turned Diomansy Kamara's shot onto the post to disappoint the home fans.

But Pompey were the better side and held out fairly comfortably, despite a Darius Henderson effort forcing 'keeper Ashdown into a smart save.

In other results, Charlton eased through to the next round with a 4-1 home win against Rochdale.

And Gravesend enjoyed a 1-0 away victory against Leigh RMI in the Nationwide Conference.